Thursday, March 28, 2024

ECZ to amend Peace Accord after HH and others refused to sign it

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ECZ Chris Akufuna at the Scene
ECZ Chris Akufuna

The Electoral Commission of Zambia has revealed that it will amend the Peace Accord which was signed by only by five of the nine participating parties.

The Peace Accord dubbed the Pledge for Peace was a document drafted by the ECZ which was presented at Friday’s meeting with presidential candidates asking them to make a firm commitment to ending electoral violence.

President Edgar Lungu, Peoples Alliance for Change candidate Andyford Banda, UNIP’s Tilyenji Kaunda, the presidential candidate for Democratic Assembly and FDD’s Edith Nawakwi all signed the Pledge for Peace.

However, UPND’s Hakainde Hichilema, Rainbow Party leader and UPP’s Dr Savior Chishimba refused to sign the accord and requested for an addendum to provide for rights, sanctions, obligations and measures for the enforcement of the Pledge for Peace.

Green Party candidate Peter Sinkamba who participated by phone from his base in Kitwe said he was committed to signing the document at a later date.

Commission Spokesman Chris Akufuna said the addendum will be circulated to all the nine presidential candidates.

Mr Akufuna was speaking in Lusaka Saturday morning when he featured on Kwacha Good Morning TV show.

He said the Commission respects the view of the candidates who refused to sign the accord hence the decision to do an addendum.

And Mr Akufuna has revealed that Ballot papers for the general elections and the Referendum are expected to arrive in the country by July 31.

He said the stockpiling and sorting out of the papers has started in Dubai and he is optimistic that the consignment will be delivered in Zambia by the end of the month.

28 COMMENTS

  1. Why would these Political Leaders sign a peace accord or truce as if they are at war? Its strange that ECZ is playing a mediatory role instead of enforcing the electoral code. What is the motive behind this peace accord? Surely culprits should be punished instead of being exonerated thru signing peace accords. Peace accords are legal documents which should not be signed without legal advice.

    • THE PERSON INSTIGATING VIOLENCE IS E.C. LUNGU. HE IS THE ONE WHO IS BEHIND THE VIOLENCE AND HE HASN’T HIDDEN THAT. HE IS USING HIS PARTY CADRES AND THE POLICE. HE HAS ALSO RESORTED TO USING OTHER GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS ZRA TO HARASS HIS PERCEIVED ENEMIES AND TO CLAMP DOWN ON PEOPLE’S RIGHTS. I WONDER WHY ECZ IS TRYING TO PRETEND THAT THEY DON’T KNOW THE CAUSER OF VIOLENCE WHEN LUNGU HAS NOT MADE IT A SECRET.

    • I fully agree with Victor. The main culprit Lungu should just be told to stop or be disqualified. He is the main reason Zambia has become a lawless place and crime has become a part of the Zambian society because of him. Toady, you must have a criminal offense or be a professional crook or thug with a shady background on your resume to get a job in Lungu’s administration or be on the team. If you are an honest and hard working person forget about having an equal opportunity.

    • The main culprit Lungu should just be told to stop or be disqualified. He is the main reason Zambia has become a lawless place and crime has become a part of the Zambian society because of him. Today, you must have a criminal offense or be a professional crook or thug with a shady background on your resume to get a job in Lungu’s administration or be on the team. If you are an honest and hard working person forget about having an equal opportunity. The police, army, and ZAF also need to sign to termination of any officer obeying Lungu’s evil orders or acting outside the constitution.

    • It is the duty and responsibility of a President to ensure law and order and public safety. That’s a basic concept covered adequately iin first year law school. The ECZ has very limited field of play. For instance it cannot investigate the death of the three young Zambians in the last police shooting. The government can.

      Second point, individual political parties are resorting to forming their own security detail because the government offers no such service. Essentially, the state has failed to ensure safety of top candidates. This is by design though because the police that is expected to serve and protect is compromised, it is in the forefront causing mayhem.

    • I thought there where two places were campaigns were suspended. Who was the common dominator in terms of violence? UPND v FDD (Namwala) and UPND v ZPS (Lusaka). Open your eyes, don’t read into the scripts things that ain’t there.

  2. Mensomenso your questions are very valid. It seems the so called Peace Pedge has been designed to protect the culprit and make the victim equally liable. In fact this Peace Pledge reinforces the mistaken notion that UPND killed Mapenzi to gain political capital. This is an excuse by the culprit to deny that Mapenzi was murdered by ZRP under the command of Lungu. This is far from the truth. Any political leader who signs the Peace Pledge is liable for prosecution should he breach the accord. It is therefore for wise for any leader to understand the legal Implications of the Peace Pledge b4 appending their signature. There is more to this accord than what meets the eye. It is also intriguing to understand ECZ’s motive for drafting this Peace Pledge. There are more questions than answers.

    • @Hope,,,,
      You too have raised an important point. If this peace is important to the sitting President, as Lubinda would want us to believe, shouldn’t Lungu come out and address the nation about the unfortunate death? The least he could do is acknowledge the problem and assure the people of Zambia that investigations will be swift and punishment will be exacted to the full extent permissible by law. Lungu should have come out, if not to show sympathy to the families which lost their children, but just appear to be President. Show disgust for lawlessness. Like Chris Rock would put it, he can’t say sh!t because he is doing sh!t.

      ECL’s term in office renders support to the suggestion that Swiss system of political administration iis suitable for Zambia. Food for thought.

  3. They just want to be seen to be doing everything possible to stop the violence when in fact nothing.
    Deception through and through.
    As YALI said,”there is no shortage of laws to stop violence in Zambia”.

    All they want to say is, ” HH doesn’t want peace, doesn’t want to pray, doesn’t want to…..(dance,eat,smile,laugh,sign,smoke,drink)”.

  4. We want a President who believes and respects the Rule of Law. We want a Police Force which enforces law and order without discrimination. We want culprits who breach the laws of the country to be prosecuted. The last thing we don’t want is a Partisan President who orders the Police to shoot and kill unarmed civilians simply becoz they belong to a different political party. Lungu as State President is not doing his job properly. He is behaving as a partisan President rather than a President for all Zambians. We don’t need new laws, Peace Accords or national prayers to deal with violence . We need enforcement of existing laws and good leadership of this country. Period.

  5. The main culprit Lungu should just be told to stop or be disqualified. He is the main reason Zambia has become a lawless place and crime has become a part of the Zambian society because of him. Today, you must have a criminal offense or be a professional crook or thug with a shady background on your resume to get a job in Lungu’s administration or be on the team. If you are an honest and hard working person forget about having an equal opportunity. The police, army, and ZAF also need to sign to termination of any officer obeying Lungu’s evil orders or acting outside the constitution.

  6. This site today is filled up with upnd minions paid to paid their freemanson white when he is originally black. Who will never succeed bafana, God will never allow satanists to rule his people again. NEVER

  7. ECZ dont waste your time with amendments. HH cannot sign a peace accord in any form, he would be going against the word and spirit of his accord with GBM and Guy Scott. More importantly, violence is a specific instruction to HH by Mmembe which HH cannot dare to disrespect his boss. I suggest that the ECZ concentrates on preparations for the elections there is very little time left, 26 days. Forget the peace accord, let Zambia Police enforce the law, with force where necessary. In fact I have seen UPND cadres begin to behave themselves despite Hhs instructions to be violent: the cadres now know that police will meet them with force. Balileka ifya ku delela ba kapokola. UPND has crumbled now because the cadres can no longer risk their lives doing illegal things and violence for HH.

  8. HHs kingpin strategy of illegal and violent defiance has crumbled and fallen flat on its face. His ten point plan has gone the same way. He now knows and has admitted that the crowds he pulls at rallies will not vote for him but ECL. Very soon he will confront and blame GBM for everything that has not worked for him HH. GBM will respond by demanding that HH rwfunds all the money that he has spent hiring on the campaign, including hiring aircraft for HH. HH will also accuse GBV of using fake academic qualifications. Watch this space, 27 days is a long time for the two to start fighting.

  9. I am not UPND but I know this accord is a waste of time.we have not sorted out the guy who pulled the trigger and killed the poor girl

  10. All of you that are saying its Lungu the causer of this violence must be sick in your foolish heads, this satanist of yours HH its a plus to him when blood is shed from his blind followers, why refuse to sign?? satana wakantu. whether he signs or not Lungu is winning elections. of anything now even the foolish cadres have seen that you just die for the sake of this bitter freemason HH its only loose to their lives and family for nothing. you see the poor girl died in cold blood HH has even long gone forgotten about her even the family. as long as HH remains a freemason and not a God fearing person he never no peace. we are tired of him let 11th come fast we bury him for good in politics

  11. Lamfras you an an ***** stop using the name of God in vain. We curse you to loose your mind for your rubbish. stop using God;s name now. Useless dog

  12. Lamfras you an an ***** stop using the name of God in vain. We curse you to loose your mind for your rubbish. stop using God’s name now. Useless dog

  13. It pays to be critical and independent. @Terrible and @ LAMFRAS, what is the mandate of ECZ in these elections – mediator? Have they actually failed to identify the culprits? If people are short by the police, doesn’t that back fall somewhere in the command from top to the squad or section? You can be fooled for some time. Certainly not all the time. Zambians have learned a lot from the time Lungu came into state house. OWL is real not what your little minds imagine!

  14. ECZ will must do their mandate . Let them release the voters register now. Not those time wasting activities where they have no teeth to bite. Voter’s Register is what we want.

  15. That’s rubbish to say the president is the one behind the violence. Truth be told UPND behaviour is that of a dog fighting with any dog with the born. Only dogs fight when the other dog has a born so is UPND if PF wasn’t in power they were going to fight with who ever would be in power. Please people don’t finger point any one with the violence because if you are not in it you can just walk away when shame the violent person but in this case every one is fighting back. Take a lead and say no to violence.

  16. UPND and your HH you have no direction come 11th August defeat visiting you for the 6th time your party history and your HH will be defeated for the 5th time

  17. This Peace Accord raises a funamental question. What is the Role of ECZ? The role ECZ is to administer elections in Zambia in terms of the Act and Electoral Code. No where is the Electoral law ECZ is empowered to negotiate and mediate with Political Parties to reach Peace Accords. ECZ should enforce the Electoral Code of Conduct the letter and avoid selective application of laws among Political Parties. There is no point in ECZ drafting Peace Accords which are not enforceable at law.

  18. Why are we all beating about the the Bush when the writing on the wall is clear. Lack of leadership has been at the helm of ECL rule. This accord is an unnecessary and all who have signed it have just wasted ink and their time, because it is unenforceable. When the country is managed on the auspice of ANIMAL FARM it very difficulty for other political parties to have a place at the political table. When violence is out hand and sanctioned impunity from the top down to the cadres, seeds of anarchy are being sowed by lack of leadership. We MUST be very careful in these upcoming elections and avoid repeating SAME mistakes and continue the blame game. We have great advantages than most of neighbors but continue to languish in poverty and self pity. Blaming foreigners for our mistakes and…

  19. Upnd party,hh & his blind followers are bitter because the know that they have already lost, no wonder hh can’t commit himself to the peace accord,he’s looking for excuses for his loss after 11th August and for your own information gbm will be the next upnd party president.

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